Driving in Greece - How Bad is it? -

Home
>
Outdoors
>
Driving in Greece - How Bad is it?

Driving in Greece - How Bad is it?

Generally speaking, Greek drivers are not the best in Europe, but they are not the worst ? those people know who they are!

I have been in driving in Greece for a while now and have witnessed many examples of bad habits on the road, which have shocked my rapidly departing British sensibilities. It is not uncommon for drivers to hoot their horns at traffic lights, even when they are still on red and to fly through red lights. There is a reason of sorts for some of the occasions when the latter occurs. Traffic lights, even in the capital, are not remotely controlled at different times of the day to allow for changes in traffic flow. Therefore in rush hour, for example, there can be dozens of cars waiting to go through a traffic light, which stays green for only ten seconds or less. This results in stressed out drivers sneaking through on red because they are tired of waiting. I have also been surprised on more than one occasion when going down a one-way street, by someone coming at speed in the opposite direction towards me. I have decided that if I ever dent the front of my car, I'll head straight for the next car heading at me the wrong way up a one-way street and let the other guy's insurance company cover it. Sounds good in theory at least.

The Greeks seem to have a blatant disregard for their own safety ? drivers and pedestrians alike (watch out for Greek grannies walking down the middle of the road with their shopping). Seatbelts are rarely worn and children can often be seen jumping up and down on the back seat, as though they were playing in their rooms, or wedged between two adults on a motorbike. There is very much a "it will never happen to me" mentality, but the statistics show that unfortunately it does happen. I always wear a seatbelt, whether I am driving or I am in someone elses car. It often raises a strange look from Greek taxi drivers, as though you are somehow questioning their ability to drive.

A Few Tips

Now for some tips. The first and most important one is to just be alert. This will keep you safe on Greek roads 99.99% of the time. I realised recently that I am now no longer just looking at the car in front of me, but I am also unconsciously looking through his windshield at the car in front of him. You will soon develop quicker reactions and a sixth sense for when someone is going to do something unorthodox. Driving in the UK would probably feel positively dull now! Care needs to be taken on roundabouts, because it often seems that the rule is the person who drives most aggressively, regardless of whether they are on the roundabout or entering it, is the one who has priority.

Unlike in the UK, when another driver flashes his headlights at you, he is not letting you pass ? the opposite is true - he is warning you that he is coming. In built-up areas, go carefully through crossroads, because people do not always respect stop signs and may also have their view of you blocked by cars parked right on the street corner. In response to what I said earlier about red traffic lights, when the lights turn green do not move off without checking that there are no stragglers coming from another junction. When I first arrived in Athens, I thought that the drivers had a slow reaction time when the light turns green lights but now I think, as with driving anywhere, it is safer to take your time.

About the author: Emmanuel Mendonca is the webmaster of Greece Travel Articles - a source of interesting articles and information about visiting, living and working in Greece.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/thingstodo/6126275.htmlcid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNGi5PDnbBHvb_dA5gtWsx27ghIVeQbOutdoors/b Report: Nov. 22/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHouston Chronicle,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By BINK GRIMES and WILKINS WEATHER For the Chronicle Guide Mike Segall of Reel Threel Charters reported good catches of redfish, croakers and sand trout on b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thejournal-news.net/articles/2008/11/22/sports/more_sports/sports01.txtcid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNE_3o9qXOFH1mrWkpLYZUSxr67GmAbOutdoors/b with Braz: Helpful Hints For The First Deer Season/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fthejournal-news.net,nbsp;ILnbsp;-/font nobr5 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1My adrenaline is picking up a little probably because Iâ€™ve been glued to deer hunting on the boutdoor/b channel for the last couple weeks. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/sports/stories/2022922896.htmlcid=1273126814ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNH4H8wJlJEY7O_8xhD0JfE3INIzAwbOUTDOORS/b: Deer hunters on the right track/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKennebec Journal,nbsp;MEnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By TRAVIS BARRETT, Staff Writer 11/22/2008 THE PERFECT STORM: Tracking deer takes the â€œperfect stormâ€ of factors. Temperatures drop, snow begins to fall and b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/sports/stories/1905230311.htmlcid=1273126811ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNGja5blqYyiLwGUWir4G5ee1dqktAbOUTDOORS/b: Searching for big trees/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKennebec Journal,nbsp;MEnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1AUGUSTA -- More than any other state in the country, Maine is blessed with trees -- and the Maine Forest Service is looking for the largest specimens. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dl-online.com/articles/index.cfm%3Fid%3D39497cid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNFaxoa6K0EMOKGEWwL768bHF_-FUwEducators, industry, DNR: get kids boutdoors/b this winter/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDL-Online,nbsp;MNnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1How do you get kids involved in ice fishing? Teachers from the Battle Lake and Nevis school districts and members of Ice Team, LLC, set out to answer that b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.news-press.com/article/20081122/LIFESTYLES/811220400/1013cid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNHbwm5BT41sL59H4EpLmEKSgBdebgCouple takes traditional word game boutdoors/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe News-Press,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Mary Beth Breckenridge â€¢ McClatchy News Service â€¢ November 22, 2008 LAKE TOWNSHIP, Ohio â€” For Jane and Keith Crane, Scrabble is an boutdoor/b sport. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20081121/FEAT03/811210304/1021cid=1272878775ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNH3MvGyzKrMindBaad-2R7YKMI-nAEnjoy warmth, comfort boutdoors/b with ... Fire pit/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fJackson Clarion Ledger,nbsp;MSnbsp;-/font nobrNov 20, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1While the couple generally uses the chimenea - a gourd-shaped boutdoor/b fireplace with a chimney-like smoke vent - after the kids go to bed, they also have a b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/34901799.htmlcid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNGTSPKk0cf9PYVs2MGp1ebh0kvFLgLove the boutdoors/b? â€˜Big Dogsâ€™ adoption event has you in mind/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Antonio Express,nbsp;TXnbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The adopt-a-thon will include breeds known for their love of boutdoor/b activities, including retrievers, shepherds and cattle dogs. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9fa39990-b75b-11dd-8e01-0000779fd18c.htmlcid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNFQEaGPuNxnn-OeJMIQEtGbCF4BCQMen are wearing their slippers boutdoors/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFinancial Times,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr19 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b a silk dressing gown for elegant evenings at home â€“ think Prince Albert or NoÃ«l Coward â€“ has taken a fashionable step forward into the great boutdoors/b. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sj-r.com/features/x776455476/Outdoors-calendarcid=0ei=fGooSZyDI6Te6AO39qRMusg=AFQjCNGj316kQBSA13z8aQ2GoLrVTTdkegbOutdoors/b calendar/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe State Journal-Register,nbsp;ILnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Staff Report * The Sangamon Valley Sierra Club will host a program on preserving scenic and historic portions of the Horse Creek and Brush Creek b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

outdoors - Google News